1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner remaining-amount detecting device, a toner remaining-amount detecting method, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which change in an amount of toner, which is decreased upon consumption, can be detected sequentially.
The process cartridge is a cartridge into which at least developing means and an electrophotographic photosensitive member are integrally made, and which is detachably mountable to a main body of an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.
The electrophotographic image forming apparatus serves to form an image on a recording medium (for example, recording paper, cloth or the like) by using an electrophotographic image forming process and may include, for example, an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (for example, an LED printer, a laser beam printer or the like), an electrophotographic facsimile and an electrophotographic word processor.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic image forming process, a latent image formed on a photosensitive drum has been developed by toner. In order to detect a remaining amount of toner, capacitance, which is varied with an amount of toner existing between electrodes, has been detected (refer to Japanese Patent No. 2712033).
In the conventional toner remaining-amount detecting methods and systems, a remaining amount of toner contained within a toner containing portion could not detected sequentially.
An object of the present invention is to provide a toner remaining-amount detecting device, a toner remaining-amount detecting method, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which a remaining amount of toner can be detected sequentially.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a toner remaining-amount detecting device, a toner remaining-amount detecting method, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which a remaining amount of toner can be detected by using change in capacitance.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a toner remaining-amount detecting device, a toner remaining-amount detecting method, a process cartridge and an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, in which there are provided a first electrode disposed along a path in which the amount of toner contained in a toner containing portion for containing the toner is decreased upon consumption, and a second electrode disposed so that the toner in the toner-containing portion can exist between the first and second electrodes when the toner is contained in the toner-containing portion, and in which an amount of the toner in the toner-containing portion can be detected sequentially.